This invention relates generally to slot machines, also known as coin operated gaming machines, and in particular to a slot machine wherein a player can interact with the machine to define a new winning combination of symbols, a new winning line, and/or to bet on the occurrence of a combination of symbols at a particular winning line for one, or a plurality of spins.
Slot machines are well known, and have been around for many years. Examples of traditional slot machines include gaming devices wherein a plurality of symbols is provided on the periphery of a plurality of rotating reels. The reels are randomly stopped and a win decision is made based on the combination of symbols stopping at a single winning line, or a plurality of winning lines. Video slot machines are also known wherein a micro-processor is used to control the functions performed by the machine and a CRT, or an LCD screen is provided to depict the action of the rotating reels.
However, the prior art of slot machines has a common characteristic of having pre-defined winning combinations of symbols, as well as a pre-defined winning lines (also known in the art as pay lines). While the player could select one or more winning lines prior to the start of game play, to the inventor's knowledge, none of the machines known in the art afford the player an opportunity to define his or her own winning combination of symbols, or to define a new winning line. Also, to the inventor's knowledge, none of the existing machines affords the player an opportunity to bet on the occurrence of a particular combination of symbols, at a specific winning line for one or a plurality of game plays or spins. The gaming device described herein incorporates such interactive new features.